Spring RYLA

High School teaches us a lot, however leadership and communicative skills are not a focus in our education system.That's where RYLA comes in!

In order to learn to be a good leader, it is important to learn to be able to work well in a team. With that in mind, the 10th graders who participate are divided into groups of 8-10, these groups are called "family groups" and are differentiated by color. Each family group has two facilitators.

Everyone learns how to be ACCEPTING and UNDERSTANDING of the different people they meet throughout the weekend. RYLA enforces the importance of listening, communicating, trust and working alongside with one another. These skills can not only strengthen an individuals team work abilities, but allows them to grow into a good leader. It takes a true leader to give unconditional support, which is transcended from the students throughout the conference.

"Spring RYLA is like nothing you have ever experienced before. As soon as you show up you're greeted with cheers and excitement and an unbelievable energy. As the weekend goes on, you start to get an idea of what everybody is so excited about. This an incredible experience that you simply don't get in schools.

The whole conference is led by students, the Senior Leaders, who bring in amazing speakers with powerful messages to talk about things like overcoming obstacles or bettering yourself.

Every Sophomore is placed into a group with about 10 others and two Juniors, who went through the program last year and now serve as facilitators. We call these "family groups," which sounds cliche, but you really do wind up feeling like a family. The family groups participate in team building and leadership activities, and break out sessions, where anyone is free to share their impression of a speaker, or anything and everything that may be going on in their life.

Spring RYLA is a chance to make new friends, learn something that nobody is teaching you, take a break from technology and talk to all different people from Queens to Montauk.

​Probably the greatest satisfaction for me came when I saw so many kids arrive the first day begging their parents to turn around and take them home, then seeing those same kids on Sunday upset because they didn't want to leave. RYLA is the best thing to ever happen to me, it really is a magical program and I wish every high school student did it." - Patrick Finn, 2016

What makes RYLA stand out from other conferences are the motivational speakers that come and present their personal life stories with the students.

The main task of having these professional speakers come to RYLA is to ignite inspiration in each person. When the speakers imply the struggles they have faced within their own lives, it allows students to have a positive mindset that no matter what challenge they’re currently going through, they too, can accomplish whatever it is they want to pursue.

"RYLA was an experience that when you look back on you wish you can relive it again. At first I was nervous about going to RYLA, because you knew no one in your family or cabin. I didn't know what it was going to be like and I was a little scared. But as the days went by friendships began to build with my family group and fellow RYLArians. My favorite moments of RYLA were the ones spent with family. It was crazy how close everyone got at RYLA by the end of the three days. All of the ice breakers and activities we did were so much fun. By the time it reached Sunday , I really didn't want to leave. After being a RYLArian it made me want to apply for a facilitator and relive RYLA." -Maleesha Ebanks, Glen Cove High School 2013

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